New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-27
MUG WUMPS IN FICTION.
TWO WEAK BOOKS.

TWO WEAK BOOKS.
| A CHILD OF THE CENTURY BY JoHS T. WHEEL
WRIGHT limo. PIP 3lS Charles scrbners sons
TWO GENTLEMEN OF GOTHAM BY c. and C. l6mo
PIP. Bib Cassel & Co.
1t may not be quite clear to which Of his char
acters Mr. Wheclwrsht means to apply the distinc
tive epithet Child OF the Century. lie exhibit
vulgar, vapid, fast young Penniman, typical of
spring Of rich pretentious AID 1lbred parents
amlable Edmands. the artist who is feeble because
his viii has not been fairly reused Sewell, The
Boston lawyer. who without any positive purpose
of his own, is elected a MuGwump Member Of Con
| gross and or two female personages Whose
traits lndstinct that we are at a loss {,
describe them Any of these dramats per
soma would serve as well as anLthcr for the Child
Of the Century, at least Of this last quarter oil
the century, which is the period Mr. Wheewright
wishes to put on show. The most llfe-lilSe of his
figures is Sam Tennman; but sam is in SO many
novels playing an un' aIymg part with hardly
change of phrase, that we cannot rate him OF
high Importance. 1t is probably upon Scwcl
| that the autho has spent most of his care, and
Sewell is in some respects an excellent sketch
| although we doubt whether Mr.. WhccwIi-ht
meant to make Lin Just what lac turns out to
be. In design he to be an example of the
rcnovating and purifying principle in American
pOliti s. which is 10 malntaln Tic RrpublCan
party by voting against IT. and to reform the
cNIl service by putting 1t under The care Of the
followers of Andrew jackson. In fact however,
he is an extremely Lnnteresting mediocIty, whose
sentiments upon public questions are gentccl but
somewhat languIh. and who, getting into Congress.
by the pressure Of his friends, is there speedily
lost in the undistnguished crowd. Sewcll j.
sincere, fastdous, intelligent and independent.
but he has neither force Of character nor eXCep
tiOna ability, nor personal attractions laudablc
person, but ore is rather sorry b. see him get
Mr.. Whcelwright's best gill lie is the peg upon
which the author airs good many views Of
taTnIclorm and kindred topics supposed 10 ~
especially precious to Boston indci endcnts-littlc
essayetteS familiar to all readers of a certain kind
Of newspaper, and neither Valuable IN Themselves
nor appropriate to novel. The pictures of life
IN Washington are str.llin. and. indeed it should
be distinctly admitted that Mr.. Whcclwneht's
representations " one 1ass Of Amcri an soc.,ty
and that a conspicuous class--alc realistic. hi
mapncr lS sr'art. nc has some wit aud somc humCr
and his II t. ;,.l".ns for O~Ca>Cndl lalscS god
I'ostcmans. for instance do not Say tha. bullet
bury themselves into the ceiling, has the
literary mark. Bat his people have NJ story tc
act cut their only frncllon is to show Themselves
and tie question Of tic realistic ncN 81 comcs hark
IN full force-Is it worth while to exhibit society
20 duh ard CommJn?
As for the society IN Two Gentlemen Of
Gotham the question is quickly answered 1t
is not at all worth while. The book seems 10 be
the JOINT production OF a man and womin. TIC
describing cabs. cad rooms 1t fonthall mat, b
f,Icne bout railroad OlcrliNn and other
male affair. while the woman applies herself to
modes and CONNECTIONS and ladies' lunch parties
The feminine touch is plainly betrayed in the
IL N
the conceits Of Sinking Euphues What Is to be
thought Of young man about town who being
asked by young Lady if he is "oftcn tempted by
the OPERA gets upon stills and delivers himself
IN this fashion: =" If my answer is frank it win
bc affirmative for l love too well Its biIthland
and the sunny atmosphere that in the oIcra hW
found place, not to turn TO 10 with pleasure
from the colder if clearer thoughts of the more
classic hool Aylmer adds that German music
is VA grand minstrcsy,' aud that he has listened
to its most skilled interpretations in the art
centres Of the North" nevertheless he prefers
Italian. Let me trust, he continues, "that my
candor viii not be my condemnation MS a musical
hereto, but that J may win your indulgence
though you withhold all assent After conduct
ing himself in this ridiculous manner at the opera,
Aylmer calls upon the same young lady and, aprO
pos Of nothing at all, instantly cncws his Oral, ny
Ana - IL IOD Il Dcdulllul tbJH-, Miss Ntlc, III Lh'
mechanism Of our wonderful human nature that
the gradual development of the finer pcrccptive
powers depends ulon the rarnestncss and affinity
existing between man and his pursuit p 1T
is indeed" answers the lady. land sad well
for too often the przc Is not worth III, contest.
the winner defeated by his own victory All
true; but | have found the remedy sovereign
one, believe me TO float with the tide toward I'D
unknown sea, leaving TO the few who stem the
current what may prove at best withercd laurel
wreath. There pages Of Thu sort Of affected
talk the worst Of it perhaps between Aylmer and hi
friend HailcsOn-wbich leads to nothing and has
10 substantial meaning, 1t is as empty as the
lives Of tie fashionable people among whom c.
/ and G. appear to believe that it prevails. Two
Gentlemen Of Gotham in short Is an empty book
IL is weaker than a child Of the Century," for
its topics are more trivial and It's workmanship il
decidedly inferior; while, like the other book. II
has no story worth telling.
SOME CHINESE GHOSTS BY LATCADIO HLARN, lOmo,
M 1876. Boston: Roberts Brothers
This little volume contains half Il dozen weird
Chinese. tales which have been deocalized and